The Sleepover Survival Guide
When kids are very young, they usually don’t have any interest in sharing their room or bed with a friend. Family is their primary focus. As they start school and begin to make new friends, though, they may ask you whether Suzie can spend the night and make homemade pizza, play in the sprinkler, then sleep on the floor in sleeping bags. Sounds fun, right? To ensure smooth sailing, try out some of these ways to prepare for this extra child in your house or discuss with your child what it’s like to spend the night at a friend’s house.
Think of a sleepover as a type of playdate. It may be best to limit the number of kiddos you invite. Ask yourself whether your child can entertain multiple friends for a long time. Have you hosted these children before in your home? Can they all get along? Be sure to select a date that works for your family. Also make sure you do not have early-morning sporting events, church, dance class or anything else at the break of day, as children will be tired after a long night of fun. Give yourself and your child a day of recovery afterward, so everyone starts the week rested.
The secret to any sleepover is the goodies. Stock your kitchen with all types of food. Get creative and come up with a food theme. Try “Under the Sea,” using Goldfish crackers, Swedish fish and doughnuts in the shapes of stars to look like starfish. Make sure food items are easy to clean up. A pizza-making session is always a winner, using tortillas, pizza sauce and any toppings your kids choose.
Begin the evening with a fun group activity such as playing kickball, taking the dog for a walk, visiting a playground nearby or doing a fun art project like sidewalk chalk. Keep the kiddos busy. Before the big day, have your child help create an activity plan, such as a movie night. Select age-appropriate movies and have kids vote on what to watch. Set up a viewing area with blankets and pillows. Pop popcorn and place portions in individual bowls and serve theater-style candy.
One idea my own children enjoyed was staging a campsite by setting up a tent in the house and pretending to be on a camping trip. Use flashlights and make s’mores. My daughter enjoyed having beauty makeover sessions and doing mani-pedis and taking before and after pictures.
Boys might enjoy a sports sleepover and wear their favorite sports jerseys, then divide into teams and play basketball or football. If the weather is bad, do a sleeping bag “sack” race indoors.
Boundaries are important. Determine start and end times, set a bedtime, show the children how to find you and check in often to make sure nobody is being teased and that arguments don’t happen. Take phones up before the sleepover begins. Social media is everywhere, and kids should unplug and enjoy each other—and NO posting pics on social media, as someone’s feelings might be hurt. Of course, make sure nobody leaves the house overnight without adult supervision.
When you are considering allowing your children to sleep over at a friend’s house, make sure they are ready. How have they done at grandparents’ houses? Did any of them get scared and want to come home? Call the parents of the child hosting the sleepover and discuss what will go on. Consider Facetiming just before your child goes to bed to relieve anxiety. Though there isn’t a single right age for a sleepover, slumber parties are a big step for all children and a common part of socialization as they grow. To avoid 1:00 a.m. phone calls (which one child did at my son’s sleepover), anticipate anxieties and try some smart strategies.
Your children may wonder where they will sleep, whether it is OK to call you before bed or whether bringing along a favorite stuffed animal will make them look babyish. So, before you accept an invitation, find out how the sleepover will go and bring up any concerns you may have. Let the family know about fears and anxiousness. Perhaps your son needs to bring a flashlight because he is afraid of the dark. Or he may need to use the bathroom one more time before bed.
And you do need to come up with an action plan if your child wants to come home. If your child calls and whines to you, or if the friend’s parent has tried everything to no avail, it is best to pick your youngster up rather than try to persuade him to stay. Your rescue develops the trust he needs, so maybe next time he will be more apt to stay the whole night. Discuss this ahead of time and assure your child that he will have fun and enjoy the time with friends.
An avid outdoors girl, Judy Goppert livesin Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing onher personal experiences to write about thenuances of everything wonderful about life.
Sources: MySouthernHealth.com, Parents.com